Ceramic and glass business news of the week

Kyocera International Inc. conducted a grand opening ceremony for a $10 million expansion of its manufacturing operations in Washington. The newly constructed building expands the company’s local manufacturing presence by more than 50% and could create up to 50 new employment positions over the next few years.

NASA has selected 399 research and technology proposals from 277 American small businesses and 44 research institutions that will enable NASA’s future missions into deep space, and advancements in aviation and science, while also benefiting the U.S. economy. The awards have a total value of approximately $49.9 million.

Heraeus Photovoltaics, a provider of technology and service solutions for the renewable energy industry, and Jolywood, a manufacturer of advanced solar cell technologies, signed a strategic R&D cooperation agreement to develop next generation metallization solutions for n-type mono bifacial solar cells to significantly improve performance and costs efficiencies.

German engineering and electronics giant Bosch has announced its plans to open a new plant in the southeastern Chinese city of Changzhou. The firm is showing its confidence to the tune of 800 million CNY (100 million euros) in investments in the site by 2019.

The Toyota Mirai fuel-cell electric vehicle is so far a niche vehicle, but that hasn’t stopped Toyota from dreaming big—really big. Project Portal is a proof of concept semi truck that runs on a scaled-up version of the Mirai’s powertrain.

If you’re in the steel industry, especially the melt shop, you know how difficult it can be to get several heats from your ladles, much less from your ladle pre-heat covers. What do you do when your ladle pre-heat cover develops hotspots, loses its efficiency and runs hotter than normal?

Innovnano, a European manufacturer of zirconia-based powders, has developed a ready-to-press 2mol% yttria-stabilised zirconia (2YSZ) with outstanding fracture toughness. Despite having a lower percentage of stabilising yttria, Innovnano’s 2YSZ has the added benefit of ageing and stability comparable to that of 3YSZ.

Amedica Corporation has been granted marketing clearance for its Valeo interbody fusion devices in Australia. The Valeo product line is made entirely of Amedica’s proprietary medical grade silicon nitride ceramic.

Missouri University of Science and Technology will host the annual Missouri Concrete Conference, May 2–3. Conference topics include slag cement concrete; colored concrete; steel fibers in building construction; impact of air quality control on fly ash properties; and much more. Conference registration is $150 per person.